THE SEARCH FOR THE ANKH

Level by Jean

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth

Thanks to José and manarch2 for directing me to the two secrets.

A video walkthrough by KillerGameplayz can be found here

As the game begins you drop down and start sliding down a long slope.  Jump with a roll so that you land sliding backwards.  Grab the edge at the end, release and grab the alcove below.  Pull up for uzi ammo.  Turn to face NE. Stand jump to grab the crack, then shimmy right around two corners to pull into a crawl space for shotgun ammo. Back out of the crawl space and shimmy back to your left until you're over the darker of two adjacent slopes (the one on the left). Drop down onto this one, slide and grab, and shimmy left around the corner until you can pull up into a crawl space for SECRET #1. Pick up the small medipack, the large medipack and the shotgun ammo, then drop down into the water below.

Pull out NW, turn left and jump onto the block for more shotgun ammo.   Jump down SE onto a ledge.  Turn right and pull up into the W alcove.  Pull down the wall switch to open an underwater door.  Before proceeding, swim across and pull out E for extra shotgun ammo.  I tried a banana jump into the dark NE alcove to see if anything was there, but I couldn't make it. (Scottie confirms, however, that it's empty). Jump into the water and swim into the opened N doorway. 

A crocodile is swimming toward you, so turn around and pull out so you can kill it safely.  Return through the N passage to the next area.  Turn right for uzi ammo in the corner.  Look near the NW corner behind the cat statue for a small medipack.  Pull out onto a ledge above the spot where you found the uzi ammo.  Pull up E, light a flare and jump up to grab the monkey bars.  Monkey swing N and drop down onto the pillar.  Take a running jump NW to the next pillar and turn left to face the ladder.  Jump to it, shift right around the corner, and with Lara's feet just above the water's surface take a rolling back flip and grab the block behind you.  Pull up, turn left and stand jump S to grab the next block.

Pull up and run forward to find a pushblock.  All you can do is pull it back once, so do that.  Jump back into the water, climb out onto the SE ledge, and find that pulling back the pushblock opened up a W passage.  Take a running jump and grab there, pull up and follow W down the ramp to a ledge overlooking a desert canyon.   You can see two panthers scurrying about below, anxiously awaiting your arrival.  Hang from the ledge and shimmy right until you can turn the corner and drop down onto a ledge.  Those panthers are just going to have to wait. 

Jump up to grab the N ledge and pull up.  Jump E to the next ledge and take a running jump slightly SE to the small ledge and do battle with no less than four bats.  When all is clear, pull up E, turn left and take a running jump across the canyon to the N opening.  Step forward and take the time to kill from here a crocodile swimming lazily in the pool below.  Jump down into the water and look for the nearby shotgun ammo and the uzi ammo on the other side of the pool.

Pull out on the NW ledge and take a running jump to grab the higher S ledge.  Pull up, turn right and draw your pistols while entering the next area.  Engage three panthers, then locate the uzi ammo in the unfinished central area.  Push the block on the S ledge to either side to reveal a closed door, and note the nearby keyhole.  Hop onto the N block and pull down the wall switch while noting the closed door to your left.  The door in the W wall opens, so go there and step forward as the camera angle becomes fixed.  You hear the snarls of a panther down below, but you probably won't be able to target it from up here because it's waiting for you immediately below.  So bite the bullet, so to speak, and drop down to engage it. 

You can't get rid of the fixed camera in this room, so grab the small medipack on the block and use your binoculars to find some uzi ammo to its left near the S wall.  Move the NW pushblock to the SW corner, climb onto it and pull down the wall switch to open the door in the previous room.  Move the pushblock under the opening in the E wall so you can leave this room.  Go to the opened doorway and come to another pool room. 

Hop down to the ledge and shoot two crocodiles in the water below, then jump into the water and take a look around.  You can see a closed central trap door and an underwater lever in the SW pillar (timed, for later).  Pull out and move the pushblock along the ledge until it comes to rest beneath the high ledge with a ladder jutting out of the N wall.  Get on the block, jump to the ladder and make your way along the ledges in a clockwise direction until you reach a ledge with another pushblock.  Move that pushblock to the N end of the ledge.  Now, drop down into the water, swim to that SW underwater lever and save your game.  When you pull it, a timed door is opened at the highest corner of the room, and you need to make your way around in a clockwise direction as you did just now, starting with a jump from the far edge of the pushblock straight up to the ladder.  It would be helpful for you to save your game in different slots as you perform glitch-free portions of this timed run.  When you reach the ledge with the pushblock, hop up onto it and jump up to grab the ceiling.  Monkey swing the rest of the way across (this is the most excruciating part of all) and drop down in front of the timed doorway.  It's really not that hard if you've done all the prep work beforehand and taken a trial run.

Run to the end of the passage and pull down the wall switch to open the trap door down in the floor of the pool.  Get there and swim along the passage until you can pull out into a small room.  Get a large medipack at the SW corner and get the SAPPHIRE KEY from the N plinth.  Swim back to the previous room.  Move the pushblock to the S part of the ledge, in front of the opening, so you can use it to exit.   Run S across the next room and insert the Sapphire Key in the keyhole you noted earlier.  The door you revealed by moving the pushblock opens, so enter the next room as an Atlantean horseman bounds around the corner ahead.  It explodes dramatically when you kill it. 

Go around where it came from and drop down from the ledge onto a block.  Pick up the large medipack and shoot two Atlantean horsemen down below from your safe vantage point.  When all is clear, drop down to the sandy floor and note two closed doors flanking a presently inaccessible wall switch in the NW corner.  Go E, hop over the short gap (there's another closed door at the end of the steps) and explore the rocky area.  Pull up SE and turn right to climb still higher.  As you pull up two boulders are released ahead, so simply drop back down and wait for the boulders to sail over your head.  Climb back up and proceed up the ramp S into the next area.  You're met by three bats, followed by a crocodile that lumbers out of the pool to your left. 

Jump into the water and swim down the shallow NW pit for a small medipack.  Swim S through the archway and turn left.  Follow the tunnel as the camera angle becomes fixed.  Pull the underwater lever to open the door behind you.  Swim through and surface for air.  Pull out right onto the ledge and follow to the N end.  You should be able to kill at least one of the three panthers scampering about down below (two, if you're lucky) before it dawns on them that they should stay out of range of your pistols.  Jump into the water and allow the current to carry you over the waterfall.  Pull out onto the sandy beach and dispose of any remaining feline enemies. 

Explore this vast underground area.  To the SE is an opening that leads to a closed door.  Nearby is an obelisk with a keyhole that fits the Eye of Horus that you'll find a bit later.  Remember where it is.  Near the NE corner is uzi ammo.  Before proceeding, let's detour for a secret.  Go SW and face the waterfall.  Climb the blocks to the left of it and step forward onto a sandy ledge underneath a higher ledge that juts out from the wall.  Take a running jump W past the waterfall and grab the crack.  Shimmy right around several corners until you can pull up onto a ledge.  Walk forward to the NE corner and take a running jump NE onto the top of the pillar for SECRET #2.  Pick up 2 x uzi ammo and shotgun ammo, then safety drop to the desert floor.

Go NW to find an opening that leads downhill to a new area.  Shoot two panthers that resent your intrusion, then continue down the hill to alert three bats and two more panthers.  Climb up onto the broken NW pillar (facing W) for shotgun ammo.  When you get to the very bottom, turn right to find additional territory to explore.  Near the N wall is uzi ammo.  Reverse roll and head up S to trigger a panoramic flyby through the next area, the vastest yet. 

Once again, try to kill two panthers roaming about below before descending.  You can look around and see a couple of artifacts in the distance at this level, but I found no way to go around from here.  Use the slopes to your left to get down to the desert floor.   Go to the N wall, directly underneath the ledge where you entered this area, and find a passage off to your right.  In the small room there is shotgun ammo, a small medipack and the SHOTGUN.  Go S to the crest of a hill and look down to find three more panthers.  Try to target and kill them from up here.

Go underneath the SW arch and look to your right for a small opening you can pull up into.  Hop forward, turn left (S) and find a double-sloped block ahead next to the W wall.  Walk up its face as far as you can, take a standing jump over the crest and immediately jump with a right curve to land on a higher ledge.   Walk to the left corner of the ledge and face SE.  Jump to grab the ladder surface, climb up to the top and shift left around the corner.  Drop down, turn around and walk to the end of the SE ledge.

If you're not interested in a few pickups that take some time and effort to get, skip the rest of this paragraph.  Otherwise, take a running jump E to grab the golden ledge.  Shimmy left to a flat spot and pull up.  Take a curved running jump E to clear the obstacle.  Take a tricky curved running jump to grab the N ledge.  Pull up for uzi ammo.  Turn right and make your way along the rock bridge until you reach the N wall.  Take a running jump S to the lower rock bridge and run forward for more uzi ammo.  I could find no way to progress from here, so I dropped down N to the desert floor and made my way back up as described in the previous paragraph.  After making that tricky jump to grab the N ledge (where the first uzi ammo pickup was), I explored left instead of right.  Walk and hop along the darker rock bridge until you come to a diamond-shaped opening.  Jump into it, face E and side flip left.  Slide down the slope, grab the edge and safety drop to the ledge below.  Turn around and jump NW to a partially enclosed area where you'll find shotgun ammo.  Go back to the SW corner overlooking the vast desert.  Face W and take a long running jump to grab the V-shaped ledge.  Pull up, go left, take a standing jump SW onto the slope, slide a bit and jump off with control to grab the S ledge.  Hang from the edge and use the crack to shimmy left until you can turn the corner and drop down onto a familiar ledge.  Jump from there to the ladder and get back up to the far end of that SE ledge. 

Take a simple standing jump E with grab, and you'll land on the tall corner pillar of the temple.  Safety drop to the roof and pick up the EYE OF HORUS.  On the short NE corner pillar you'll find uzi ammo.  Safety drop to the desert and look around to find a small medipack NW, uzi ammo SE and shotgun ammo NE. 

You'll need an important pickup before proceeding further in this area, so you may as well go back and get it now.  First, you've got to get out of here.  Go to that dark area N opposite the NE corner of the temple.  Light a flare and hop up onto the short ramp.  Face E and back flip to the steeper slope, jump off with a hard left curve and slide down to grab the edge.  Shimmy left and pull up to the higher desert floor.  Loop around left to that SW arch and pull up right into the small opening.  Repeat the moves described earlier to get back onto that SE ledge facing the temple below.  Refer to the long paragraph above to get onto the high N rock ledge.  Go left through the diamond-shaped opening to where the shotgun ammo pickup was found.  From here, jump E to the block ledge and take a running jump to grab the higher E ledge.  Shimmy around two corners and drop down.  You're back. 

Follow the winding tunnel back to the cavern with the waterfall.  Go to the SE obelisk and insert the Eye of Horus in the receptacle.  The door to your right opens.  Go there and up the ramp as the camera becomes fixed.  Stand before the wall switch on your left and save your game.  The door at the end opens to release a boulder, so turn left and sprint back down to safety.  Go back up the ramp and start walking as you near the open doorway.  When camera control is restored you find yourself on a ledge overlooking the room below.  Jump SE to a pillar and shoot three panthers down below.  Hop down and move the central pushblock next to the SW pillar.  Climb up onto the pillar and jump up to grab the S ledge.

Pull up, turn around and cross the wooden bridge to find the UZIS (thanks, Ceamonks890) and a panther.  Pull the wall switch on the back side of the pillar to open a nearby door.  Go back across the bridge and pick up the large medipack on the way to the opened doorway.  Three Atlantean horsemen are cavorting about in the room below.  After taking care of them, jump to the pillar against the E wall.  José says you can become stuck if you bypass the intended progression here, so you're hereby warned not to deviate from the following directions.  Pull up and take a running jump to grab the bottom of the N ladder with your fingertips.  Pull up and run to the other end of the long ledge.  Pull back the pushblock as far as you can, then jump past it (you can't shimmy past it) so you can move it all the way to the marked tile SE.

A door opens down below in the N wall, providing access to another pushblock.  Pull it out and move it onto the marked tile in the NW corner.  A block is raised nearby, allowing access to a wall switch.  Go to the SE corner and use the raised tile to climb back up onto the ledge.  Jump the pillars to reach the NW wall switch.  Pull it down and you'll hear the faint sound of a door opening.  That door is in the bridge room, at the opposite corner from where you entered this room, so go back and find the newly opened doorway SW.  Enter the next room and go up to the dais for the SEAL OF ANUBIS.

You now need to return to the temple area for a great deal of unfinished business.  Exit this room, get down to the floor, move the pushblock all the way over to the opposite corner so you can climb out N (shimmy left past the open door).  Kill the waiting Atlantean horseman and run down the ramp into the area with the waterfall.  Run across to the NW corner and follow the tunnel back to the vast desert area.  Jump SE to slide to the next lower level, then run forward and slide down once more to the roofed temple.   Vault up onto the ledge, hop down onto the ramp and run forward for a large medipack.  Continue to a wall switch that opens the large double doors.  Kill two Atlantean horsemen inside, then locate the uzi ammo NE.

There are two pushblocks in this room, one at the W wall and the other at the E wall.  Each blocks a passage, so move them aside.  There's a closed door at the end of the E passage (that doesn't open until near the very end), so enter the W passage, pull down the wall switch to open the door and kill an Atlantean horseman.  Enter the W area and pick up the uzi ammo to your right.  Reverse roll and get the shotgun ammo in the opposite corner.  Go pull down the switch in the far W wall and engage two Atlantean horsemen.  Look to your left in the next room for a small medipack, and to your right for uzi ammo.  Get on the ledge against the W wall for more uzi ammo.  Pull down the NW wall switch to lower a trap door in the E wall.  Climb up onto the block beneath it and pull up S into a passage.  Pull down the wall switch at the other end to open a door down below.

Get down and hop into the opened SE doorway.  Go up the ramp to find a small medipack to your right.  Pull up N through the ceiling hole and find yourself on a ledge overlooking the previous room.  I couldn't find anything to do up here, so I did a safety drop to the block below, hopped to the sandy floor and climbed up into the NW opening.  Go to the other end of the passage and pick up the shotgun ammo.  Hop down into the hole on your left and get the uzi ammo (as you won't be able to get it later).  Pull out N to face an obvious boulder trap.  Turn around and hop back up the ramp until the boulder is triggered, then run down and to the left as the boulder rolls down and drops into the hole.

Follow up the ramp to a ledge overlooking a large area.  You also get a fixed camera angle.   Go to your right and climb down the long ladder, noting the alcove to your right with a keyhole receptacle as you descend.  Kill two panthers when you reach the bottom and look for the nearby shotgun ammo.  There's a closed trap door near the foot of the ladder, another closed trap door near the NE corner, and uzi ammo near the far N wall. 

Climb back up the ladder and slide down the N slope backwards.  Grab the edge at the end, pull up and take a rolling back flip to grab the N ledge.  Pull up for uzi ammo.  Take a running jump straight N into the darkness and grab a crack in the wall.  Shimmy left around the corner and continue as far as possible.  Drop down onto a sloped block.  Slide down, grab the edge and pull up.  Take a rolling back flip and grab the ledge behind you.  Pull up and hop up SW onto the higher ledge.  Go to the W end and hop down left.  Take a long running jump to grab the higher W ledge next to a pushblock.

Pull down the nearby wall switch to lower one of the trap doors in the desert floor, then push the block away to reveal a closed door.  You'll have to make additional trips back here later.  Safety drop to the desert floor and locate the open trap door near the NE corner.  Drop down into the room below and locate a small medipack, uzi ammo and a large medipack.  The SW pushblock near the large medipack needs to be moved underneath the wall switch on the N pillar.  When you pull it down a ceiling trap door lowers, so move the block underneath it to access a small but tall room with surrounding ledges. 

Use the central slab to jump up to grab the N slope.  Shimmy all the way to the right and try to take a rolling back flip with a left curve to grab the ledge.  Bet you can't do it.  I couldn't either.  The right way is to take a rolling back flip off the N slope, grab the S slope, shimmy right and pull up to back flip onto a ledge in the corner.  From here you can jump to the ledge with the wall switch.  Pull it down to open a door back in the vast desert area, pick up the nearby shotgun ammo and get back down.  Return to the desert floor and look up W.  I was afraid of this.  The opened door is the one described in the previous paragraph, so I was right about the necessary backtracking.  Get used to it.

Climb the SE ladder and repeat the moves described three paragraphs back.  Actually, it's not all that bad, just takes a few minutes.  Enter the opened doorway and pull up right into a dark passage.  Take a standing jump E to grab the higher ledge and pull up for a panoramic view of the desert below.   There may be other ways to do this, but I started by taking a running jump N to the left ledge.  From there I made my way E with running jumps until I reached a flat surface near the NE corner.  Face N, hop back to grab the edge and shimmy right until you reach the dark NE corner.  Pull up onto a flat surface and run forward into an alcove.  Pull up left, then right, then step forward into a small room with pillars of varying heights. 

The switch in the S wall raises a timed trap door that provides access to a wall switch higher up, so save your game before pulling it down.  Turn left and climb up onto the short block, then make running jumps around the room, grabbing the next pillar each time until you reach the last one.  From there, pull up, turn left and take a standing jump W to grab the timed trap door.  Pull up and throw the wall switch, then reverse roll and take a running jump to grab the opposite raised trap door.  Pull up and take a standing jump N into the passage.

Run up the ramp and loop around right at the end to find a receptacle for the Seal of Anubis.  When you insert it you hear the sound of a door opening.  Turn around and locate the E pushblock.  Push it through the opened doorway into a familiar area (and thereby providing a convenient shortcut for later).  Use the pushblock to access the wall switch you couldn't reach earlier (but don't let it block the adjacent closed door in the N wall).  When you pull down the switch, sure enough, the door in the N wall opens.

Safety drop to the ledge and run up the ramp to pull down a wall switch.  A door opens down below in the NE corner.  Go there and enter a large room defended by two Atlantean horsemen.  As you run about while firing at them, your attention will be drawn to a plinth high up in the N wall.  Remember it for later.  After the enemies have been vanquished, locate two wall switches near the SE corner.  Pull them both down.  One opens a door in the W wall, the other opens a door high up in the S wall. 

The opened W doorway reveals a pushblock.  Push it forward two times, go around to the left and find a closed door N, flanked by two wall switches W and E.  Move the pushblock around the central block so you can climb up and pull down both wall switches.  When you do so, the N door opens.  Follow the passage and kill two Atlantean horsemen in the next room.  Pick up the uzi ammo NE and note the block near the entrance to this room.   

Go to the NE corner and save your game in front of the wall switch in preparation for a timed run.  Actually, the timer is so generous that you should be able to make it on the first try.  Pull down the wall switch, reverse roll and run back to that block you noted earlier.  Hop onto it, turn around and climb up onto the higher block that's supported by a pillar.  Turn left and take a running jump N to the next pillar block, veer right and take a running jump and grab E to the next pillar block, pull up and turn right to take a running jump and grab S to the last pillar block, pull up and turn left to take a running jump and grab E to the sloped green ledge.  Pull up, run forward and turn right to pass the timed double doors.  Run up the ramp and turn to the right to find yourself on the other side of a pool you explored much earlier.

Step out onto the ledge overlooking the pool and turn left to face the dark SE corner.  Take a running jump into the darkness and grab the block.  Pull up, turn right and pull up onto a rock ledge.  Walk forward and jump NW onto the structure.  Take the SAPPHIRE KEY from the plinth.  Recall that you have access to another open door back in the pillar room.  However, the timed double doors have closed, so you have no choice but to plow through previously explored territory.   Jump into the water and climb out onto the NW ledge.  Jump S to the higher ledge, turn right into a previous room and turn left into the opening in the fenced enclosure.  Follow around to the right, drop down onto the block and safety drop to the desert floor.  Use the shortcut via the NW doorway to run down the S passage.  Jump to a corner pillar and safety drop to the ground.  Exit S and drop down until you find yourself on the high ledge overlooking the vast desert area.  Hang from the edge, shimmy left to the flat spot and pull up.  Jump NW to the next ledge and use the NW slopes to slide down to the desert floor.

Run SE to the ladder and start climbing.  Shift right when you reach the alcove and drop down to insert the Sapphire Key in the key hole.  The trap door near the foot of the ladder opens, so get back down and drop into the hole.  In the next room pull back the W pushblock one time.  A small earthquake ensues.  Climb back out of the hole and find a newly raised structure near the S wall.  You can hear the snarls of a panther nearby, but it poses no threat to you right now.  Use the irregular structure to access a ledge with shotgun ammo on it.  Hop down and climb the SE ladder to the top.  Repeat the process you've already done twice before, that is, slide backwards down the N slope, etc., to get back onto the W ledge.

Go through the open doorway, pull up right, go around right and jump to grab the higher ledge.  Pull up, turn right and run forward to the ivy-covered block.  Climb over it and pick up the uzi ammo on the other side.  Turn left and take a running jump E to the reconfigured ramp.  Jump up to grab the higher ledge, pull up and dispose of that huffing and puffing panther.  Run forward and pick up the uzi ammo.  Enter the S opening and pick up the large medipack in the next room.  Pull back the S pushblock and move it to the SW corner.  Use it to reach the higher ledge.  Pull up, turn left and take a running jump to the other corner.  From there take a running jump N to grab the alcove across the room.  Pull up and use the wall switch to open the S door down below.

Safety drop to the floor and enter the opened doorway.  Light a flare and jump over the sneaky spike trap.  Run up the ramp onto a ledge overlooking a room below.  Pull down the wall switch in the NE alcove and walk out to the SE corner of the ledge.  Take a running jump slightly SE to grab a ledge in the corner.  Pull up, turn right and take a running jump S across the room to grab a facing ledge.  Pull up, run forward and pull down the wall switch.  A cut scene shows that changes have taken place in a room you visited earlier.

Walk out to the ledge and safety drop to the room below.  I hate to have to tell you this, but you now need to retrace your steps laboriously once again.  Exit this room through the NW passage and run up the ramp.  Repeat the slide down the N slope, etc., to reach the W ledge as you've already done repeatedly.  Climb up to the higher ledge and make your way around E, jumping the ledges, until you reach the dark NE corner.  Climb up to the pillar room.  Yes, you're going to have to do the timed run again.  When you get up to the desert floor, pull the high wall switch back up to re-open the N door.  Get down, exit NE to the next room and use the sand pile to reach the N plinth.  Take the SCARAB and get back down.  

Pull up into the S opening to find that it takes you back to an area you explored much earlier.  You're now required to endure yet more backtracking. Turn right and go through the W doorway.  Go down the S passage, jump right or left to a pillar and safety drop to the floor below in the timed pillar room.  Exit S, drop down twice and go out to the ledge overlooking the vast desert area.  Hang from the edge, shimmy left to the flat spot, pull up and jump NW to the ledge.  Hop NW so you slide down the slopes to the desert floor.  Run to the SE ladder, climb up, slide down N, etc. and make yet another circuit to the W ledge.  Enter the doorway, climb up right, loop around and jump up E to the higher ledge.  Go S, climb over the ivy-covered ledge and jump E.  Pull up onto the higher ledge, run forward and turn right into the S doorway.  Follow S (being careful of that spike trap in the dark) and come out onto a familiar ledge.

Take a running jump slightly SE and grab the ledge.  Pull up and go NE.  Pick up the small medipack.  Locate the pushblock and push it aside.  Vault up E onto a ledge overlooking a room lined with pillar-supported blocks.  You've been here before, only at floor level.  Jump carefully (so you don't overshoot or undershoot it) onto the block with shotgun ammo.  Jump across (using standing jumps with grab is safest) to two others with a small medipack and a large medipack.  Then jump to grab the far E ledge and pull up.  Go to the receptacle and insert the Scarab to open the door in the E passage below and release two Atlantean horsemen.  

Get down and enter the E passage.  Drop down into the next room.  Pull down the switches on the N and S ledges to open the double doors.  In the next room move the NW pushblock under the N wall switch.  Go up the steps and move the other pushblock onto the lower one.  Get up onto it and pull down the wall switch to open a door high up in the S wall. Jump there, pull up and climb up higher N to a ledge.  Go to the plinth and take the ANKH.  Mission accomplished.  Almost.  You hear a door opening, so safety drop from here and go to the open E doorway. 

Slide down the slope as doors open before you, unleashing four Atlantean horsemen.  Go E and pull down a wall switch on either side of the double doors to open them.  Run out into the sunlight to end the level.